If Apples Could Fly
by Jerusha ferch Rhys
Summary: All children get into mischief, and Deryni children are no exception. (This is an earlier story that I neglected to publish in sequence.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Barony of Tehryn_

_September 1130, Late Morning_

Baron Jerrill de Tehryn leaned his head against the apple tree. From this position, sitting in the warm September sunshine at the edge of his apple orchard, he could see Tehryn Keep and the town below. More importantly, he had a clear view of the three young children finishing the last of the honeycakes from their picnic lunch. Jäna was delicately licking her fingers clean, the sun glinting brightly off her dark auburn hair. It had been neatly plaited that morning, but now many strands escaped to frame her fair face. Her triplet brother Justin sat beside her, passing the back of his right hand across his lips then reaching for the flask of small ale to wash down the last crumbs. Jared, his identical twin, kneeled slightly behind Jäna, gazing at his sticky hand, then at Jäna's back….

"JARED!" The old Baron gave his son a stern look.

"Sir?" Jared hastily drew his hand back, his face displaying boyish innocence although the green eyes twinkled with mischief.

"I saw that."

Jäna turned to glare at her brother. "Don't you dare!"

Jared grinned obligingly at her and dusted his hand off on his tunic.

Jerrill sighed and crossed his arms across his chest comfortably. His children were six years old and Jerrill was convinced they had far too much energy for his own good.

"Why don't you settle down on the grass and we'll all have a nice nap."

"Nap?" Justin looked at his father doubtfully. "On a day like this?"

"Papa," Jäna said, coming over to crouch beside him. "Why don't you have a little sleep and we'll play hide and seek quietly until you wake up."

"Will you now?" Jerrill looked at the pert little face beside him and smiled. "You think I need a 'little sleep'?"

"Well, Papa, we did play tag, checked all the cider apple trees and threw rocks at the targets. You're probably a little tired by now." She looked at him so seriously that the old baron found it hard to suppress a laugh.

"All right. The three of you may play hide and seek provided you stay where I can hear you. And no climbing the trees." Jerrill looked directly at his two sons. "Understood?"

"Yes, Papa," both boys responded. "And we'll look out for Jäna."

Jäna looked at them with an expression that clearly gave her opinion of whether she needed to be looked after or not.

"See that you do." The baron settled his back more comfortably against the tree, closing his eyes while ensuring his senses were tuned to pick up the slightest sign of any real trouble they might get into. With a little luck, that wouldn't happen too soon….

###

"Nineteen, twenty. Ready or not, here I come!" Jäna de Tehryn lifted her head from her arms crossed against the tree trunk and turned around. Any sounds of running feet had stopped by the time she had reached the count of twelve, so her brothers were a fair distance away. She didn't bother looking up into the trees, since her brothers had promised not to climb the orchard trees. She hadn't exactly promised not to climb the trees herself, but she was pretty sure Papa had included her in his admonition against tree climbing.

There was an outcropping of rocks far off to the left that could be a possible hiding spot. She cast her senses in that direction; after a little concentration she was fairly sure Justin was behind the largest boulder. And Jared was on the ground behind the tree to the left of the rocks, ready to try to sneak past her when she went after Justin.

Jäna sighed. Hide and Seek wasn't fun anymore, now that her training from Lady Amah had taught her how to sense her brothers' presence. Maybe once they learned how to shield themselves better it would be fun again. Somehow she doubted it.

"I spy," she began as she dashed toward the rocks. At almost the same moment Jared darted from behind his tree and headed toward the tree Jäna had abandoned.

"I spy Jared!" Jäna changed her direction and now ran in a line to intercept her brother. Justin ran out from behind the rocks to reach the tree from the other side.

"I spy Justin!" Jäna whirled, suddenly unsure which to pursue and tripped on a tree root. The mishap delayed her just long enough for her brothers to reach the tree before her. She kicked at the root in frustration.

"Well done! " Jared gave his brother a congratulatory clap on the shoulder. "Do you want to seek this time?"

Justin shook his head. "Not really." He sat down with his back to the tree, pushing his dark auburn hair back from his face to catch the slight breeze. Jared stretched out on the ground nearby, staring at the sky through the tree branches. Jäna sat down between them, her arms wrapped around her knees drawn up under her dress. She rested her chin dejectedly on top.

"What's wrong?" Justin asked. His sister didn't like losing but she never sulked about it. She was much more inclined to get even.

"The letter Papa got from Prince Nigel."

"Oh." The twins exchanged uncomfortable glances. Papa had talked to them privately about it, before he told Jäna.

The boys would reach their seventh birthdays on Christmas Eve and Jäna on Christmas Day. As they had since they turned three, the triplets would accompany their father to Rhemuth for King Kelson's Christmas and Twelfth Night Courts. They did not attend the courts themselves, of course, but it was fun to see the sights in Gwynedd's capitol and at least watch from the fringes of some of the many activities. There were treats and delicacies and gifts for their birthdays and Twelfth Night. Last year Papa had taken them to watch the young pages and squires in their training. It had been very exciting, until Papa had to explain to Jäna why she couldn't be a page like her brothers would be one day.

Now that day was coming. The letter from Prince Nigel Haldane, who supervised the training of Rhemuth's pages and squires, had confirmed that the boys would be pledged along with the other new pages at Twelfth Night court. They would remain in Rhemuth after Twelfth Night; only Jäna would return to Tehryn with Papa.

Jäna had been upset after Papa had taken her aside and explained the letter's contents. Although she had agreed that it was a great privilege for the sons of the Baron Tehryn to become royal pages, she had stubbornly refused to agree that she should not be included. After all, she had argued, wouldn't Queen Araxie like to have her own little girl page to serve her?

"It will be hard for us too, you know," Justin said. "So many new things to learn that have to be done 'just so', and you won't be there to help us."

Jäna turned her head to look directly at her brother. "I could be, you know!"

"No you can't," Jared stated with his usual directness. "Papa needs you here in Tehryn to be his chatter-laine."

"That's chatelaine!"

"Close enough," Jared said with sly grin. Jäna scooped up a handful of grass and dirt and threw it at his head. "Hey, I was just trying to make you smile!"

Jäna sighed and lay back to look up into the apple tree. "It's not funny." She knew her father had arranged the day's outing to please her, but how could she be happy knowing her brothers were going away?

The three were silent for a while, lost in private thoughts.

"What if apples could fly?" Jäna suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Jared rolled over to look more directly at his sister. "Why would you think apples could fly?"

"Well, if we're not supposed to climb the trees, it would be a way to get an apple down." Jäna looked thoughtfully into the branches above. "Amah's taught us how to focus." Her voice trailed off as she continued to gaze up into the tree. An apple not too far up in the branches looked ripe for picking. She took a deep breath and concentrated on making it move. Slowly, it began to move from side to side.

"It's just the wind," Jared muttered.

The apple suddenly popped free from the stem and plummeted to the ground, landing with a solid "thud." Justin crawled over to pick it up, turning it thoughtfully in his hand. "I think you bruised it."

"It came down before I was ready for it," Jäna responded, reaching over to have a closer look herself. There was a solid dent in the side of the apple.

"Try again," Jared said eagerly, "and show me what you did."

Jäna held her hand out to her brother, who clasped it eagerly. "This is what I did."

Five apples later, the three sat joined hand to hand in a circle. Ever so precariously, an apple drifted jerkily down to the ground in the middle, falling part way then slowing, until finally it settled somewhat gently on the ground.

"Now that was better," Justin said with a wide grin. "We've almost got it right."

The pile of apples between them continued to grow. Three apples now drifted down from the tree, one below the other. Justin's was the lowest one, Jäna's was in the middle, and Jared's highest up. Suddenly Jared let his drop, crashing into Jäna's apple, which in turn knocked into Justin's.

"Hey, watch out!" Jäna cried. "Jared Jayce de Tehryn, you did that on purpose!"

Jared grinned broadly, pleased that he had thought of it first.

"You and Jäna try to keep two together, and I'll see if I can hit them both at once," Justin suggested eagerly. The pile of apples on the ground continued to grow.

Soon two apples descended side by side, while Justin's apple drifted into alignment above; he was almost ready to release….

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Jäna gasped. With three distinct "thuds," all three apples fell to the ground at once.

Baron Jerrill de Tehryn stood with his fists on his hips, glaring at the three children still seated on the ground. The triplets leaped to their feet, turning to look up at him with three pairs of wide, emerald eyes. They knew that stormy look on their father's face, and at a time like this, there was only one thing to do; send in Jäna.

"Papa! You're awake!" Jäna bent down and picked what she thought was the nicest looking apple. "Would you like an apple?" she asked, stepping forward and giving her father her very best smile.

"No, I would not! Look at all these apples on the ground! My cider apples! What were you doing?" he asked again.

"Making apples fly," Jäna replied, a trace of uncertainty in her voice.

"Making apples fly," her father repeated. He gave each of the three children a direct, pointed look. "Show me."

Jäna turned back towards the tree and looked for another apple. There weren't any left on the lower branches and there didn't appear to be very many left farther up.

"No," Jerrill said, "not another apple." He held out his hand, palm up. "Show me."

Obediently, Jäna set her small hand in her father's larger one. The memories of the afternoon sped quickly across the contact.

"Could you not have stopped at one or two? You've wasted the whole tree!" The old baron took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, angry but at the same time grudgingly impressed. Still, there was a lesson to be learned here. He surveyed the apples on the ground again.

"There may be enough here for Old Johnny to start a small batch of cider. The three of you start sorting through the apples while I fetch Old Johnny and stay right here until I get back!" Jerrill de Tehryn strode back to the clearing where he had left his horse, leaving three dismayed children behind him.

###

Jäna de Tehryn looked up from the pile of apples as her father and the other man approached. She brushed a damp strand of auburn hair back from her forehead and shaded her eyes with her small hand. Papa had left his horse in the clearing again, and he walked beside the man leading the donkey that pulled the cart. The cart's wheels creaked ominously.

Old Johnny Fen was the oldest man Jäna knew. His skin was wrinkled and leathery, and he had a big nose and wispy, white hair fringing a mostly bald head. He was always gruff and direct, though never actually mean. He had been Papa's cider master forever, as far as she knew. He didn't exactly frighten her, but he made her uneasy. Jäna edged closer to Jared as the cart stopped near the pile of apples.

"So these are the apples," Old Johnny stated as he reach down to pick up one apple and then another, examining them closely. "They don't look too badly bruised, m'lord."

"This pile has the best ones," Jared ventured. He pointed to a second pile of just about the same size. "Those ones have more bruises, and the third pile has the worst ones."

"They were our first apples, and…." Jäna stopped at the sharp look from her father. "We dropped some."

Old Johnny crossed in front of Jäna to check the other two piles of apples. "If we use these two," he motioned with one gnarled arm in the direction of the first and second piles, "we should have enough for a small batch. It should give us a good sample of this year's crop, at least." He looked at the triplets. "Load 'em into the cart."

The children looked toward their father uncertainly; he stood with his arms across his chest and nodded.

"And be careful you don't bruise 'em more!" Old Johnny stood back to supervise, occasionally directing the rearrangement of the apples in the cart to suit himself.

It had been warm work sorting through the apples the first time; it seemed warmer to the triplets now, piling them carefully two at a time into the cart. Old Johnny lifted down a worn, leather flask hanging from one of the cart braces, uncorked it and shot a stream of clear liquid into his open mouth.

'You want some?" he asked Jäna.

"No thank you!" Jäna replied quickly, horrified at the very thought of it.

Justin passed his forearm across his sweaty forehead. All three had their sleeves rolled up and he was tempted to strip down to his shirt. "May I have a drink, please?"

Old Johnny passed him the flask. It contained cool water and he didn't mind that the stream of water that shot out when he squeezed the leather missed his mouth a bit. "Thank you, sir."

Jared quickly followed his brother's example, carefully polite and courteous. Jäna still wanted nothing to do with it, though she was thirsty, too.

By the time the cart was loaded to Old Johnny's satisfaction, the sun was slanting through the tree branches. Old Johnny walked over to Baron Jerrill.

"We should have enough time to run these through the mill today, m'lord, and then I can load the press if it's ready" he said.

"Fair enough," Jerrill nodded and looked at his three tired children. "You get your ponies and go with Old Johnny. You're going to help him."

"But Papa," Jäna said uncertainly, "isn't it getting late?"

"You need to finish what you started," Baron Jerrill said firmly. "You have an example to set on behalf of Tehryn."

Jäna didn't notice the twitch of a grin on Old Johnny's face as she sighed and went with her brothers to get their ponies in the clearing, or the conspiratorial look that passed between the two men. She was hot, she was tired, and she was thirsty. Her afternoon outing was not turning out well at all!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Barony of Tehryn_

_September 1130, Late Afternoon_

Baron Jerrill de Tehryn left his triplets in the care of Old Johnny at the very outskirts of town, promising to come back for them before the evening meal. If all went according to his plan, this would leave enough time to mill the apples and load the press before the triplets were too exhausted to ride their ponies back home. Jäna de Tehryn was not pleased as her father rode toward Tehryn Keep, leaving her brothers and her with the odd old man. She kept her pony safely between her brothers as they rode behind the donkey cart toward Old Johnny's home.

It wasn't long before they reached Old Johnny's home. Old Johnny stopped the cart a short distance from the large millstones, which were located close to a substantial shed with a row of heavy wooden doors in the front. Jäna noticed a neat little house towards the back of the yard. The door and windows were open to catch the afternoon breeze and there were hedges on either side of the house. It surprised her, because it looked like a proper, pleasant place. She had expected something dark and nasty.

"This is far enough," Old Johnny announced. "You can put your ponies inside the fence over there," he pointed to smaller shed within a wooden fence, "and then we'll begin filling up the mill trough." Old Johnny climbed down carefully from the cart and moved toward Jäna to help her dismount. Jäna hopped down quickly before he could reach her, and led her pony toward the enclosure. Jared gave her a puzzled look as both brothers followed behind her.

As Jäna reached up to lift the leather loop that held the gate closed, a tall young man came out from the shed and walked toward her. To her young eyes, he seemed to be all arms and legs as he approached.

"Let me help you with that," he said as he lifted the loop off the post and opened the gate. "There's fresh water in the trough over there." He motioned with one long arm in the direction of the shed. "I'll look after the ponies if you'd like, while you look after the apples."

He reached for the ponies' reins as he spoke, and the ponies followed the young man eagerly.

"Now," Old Johnny said after the triplets returned to the cart, "grab a couple of apples each, and I'll show you how to load the mill." Each triplet obediently picked up apples and followed the old man to the millstones.

The bottom mill stone looked huge to the children. A trough had been hewn from the stone along the outer edge. The smaller stone sat on its edge in the trough, secured to an arm that stretched from where it was attached to the centre post through the stone and ending several feet beyond it.

Old Johnny showed them how to lay the apples evenly in the trough, telling them most sternly to keep their hands well clear of the vertical stone. "If you don't," he told them, "if the stone starts to move, it will squash your hand flat!" He smacked the palms of both hands together in front of him with a loud SLAP. The triplets started at the sound and nodded solemnly.

Old Johnny left them to their task and entered the house.

"This is your fault, Jäna," Jared hissed at his sister when he was sure Old Johnny couldn't hear.

"You flew as many apples as I did!" Jäna retorted.

"But it was your idea!"

"Shhh," Justin cautioned. "Old Johnny's coming back."

The gnarled old man returned with a different donkey than the one that had pulled the cart. He checked the distribution of the apples in the trough and then hitched the donkey to the wooden arm.

"I'll get 'er started, then the three of you can take turns leading Amy," he instructed with a nod toward the donkey. "It's important to keep an even pace so the millstone turns smoothly."

Fascinated, the children watched as the wheel began to crush the apples into pulp. Jared took the first turn leading the donkey, gradually speeding up to make the wheel turn faster. Old Johnny made him slow down, explaining carefully that milling faster did not make for as good a pulp. Each child had several turns before Old Johnny declared the pulp was ready for the press.

He showed them how to scoop the pulp into buckets. He took two buckets while each of the triplets carried one, Jäna having to use two hands to manage her bucket. He led them over to the large shed and opened the first of the large doors, which hardly made a sound as it swung open. Inside it was cool and dim. Old Johnny set down his buckets and opened the shutter of one of the windows to let in more light.

He showed them how to layer pulp and then straw in the apple press. Jäna thought it was mucky work, but her brothers didn't seem to mind at all. Once they had emptied all the apple pulp from the buckets, Old Johnny directed them back to the yard to refill the mill trough with the remaining apples.

By the time the last batch of apples was milled, the triplets were bored from the seemingly endless turns leading the donkey around the mill, and the smell of crushed apples was becoming sickening in the heat. Even Old Johnny's attention had wandered a bit as the children filled the buckets with the last of the pulp. He had glanced away when Jäna's bucket slipped, and she tried in vain to catch it. Her little hand got caught between the handle and the side of the bucket, pinching it and drawing blood.

"Hey now, what's happened?" Old Johnny came immediately over to her side when she cried out. Gently he pried her hand loose as Jared and Justin watched apprehensively. Tears were trickling down Jäna's cheeks as the old man gently turned her hand to examine it.

"I don't think it's too bad, but we'll get this cleaned up to make sure." Old Johnny looked toward the open door of the house. "Meggie!" he called. "Come and have a look at this."

A pretty, middle-aged woman emerged from the house. She wiped her hands on her apron as she hurried towards them. "What's the matter, Father?"

"Little Lady Jäna's pinched her hand under the bucket handle and cut it, I think. You take her inside and clean it up."

"Let me have a look," Meggie said, kneeling down in front of Jäna and gently taking the injured hand from Old Johnny.

Jäna rubbed away a tear from her face with her free hand, not too sure of the woman who smiled down at her. "It's all right, now," Jäna said with a sniff.

"We should make sure." Meggie stood and smiled at her father. "We'll go inside and see to it. You continue on with the young masters." Gently she propelled Jäna toward the open door of the house.

"_Yell if you need us," _Justin sent_._

Jäna looked back once over her shoulder as she allowed herself to be guided into the house by the woman.

The small house was simply furnished, but Jäna noted it was clean and tidy. The woman named "Meggie" asked her to sit on the bench before the rough-hewn table while she fetched water and cloth. Jäna noticed a small wall hanging embroidered with a tree laden with apples as Meggie gently cleaned her hand. Meggie looked up and saw what had captured Jäna's attention.

"Your lady mother gave that to my mother when I was born," Meggie said. "She was very fond of Father's cider."

"Do you live here, too?" Jäna asked.

Meggie smiled. "No, I live in town with my husband and two sons. Since my mother died, I often come up to check on Father and make sure he has what he needs. He gets distracted by his cider making and sometimes forgets the day-to day things. My younger son Bertie came with me today to check on Father's donkeys. Would you like a drink of cider?"

"Do I have to squirt it from a skin?" Jäna asked, wrinkling her nose in a look of distaste.

Meggie laughed. "Did Father try to tempt you with that old skin of his?" She shook her head, still chuckling merrily. "My boys loved it when he'd pull that out and show them how to use it, but I was never impressed!" She filled a cup with cool cider and Jäna accepted it gratefully.

Meggie had bandaged Jäna's hand to keep it clean on the way home and now busied herself tidying up, humming a pleasant tune. Jäna wondered at the fact that Old Johnny could have such a nice daughter and a wife her own mother had given a baby present to.

By the time she finished her cider and returned to the yard with Meggie, Old Johnny and the boys had loaded the last of the pulp in the press, and Old Johnny had screwed down the wooden top to start the pressing. Papa had just returned, and Jäna showed him her bandage, turning to thank Meggie for her help. Old Johnny and her brothers fetched the ponies and Old Johnny brought hers forward.

"'Ere you go, young lady," Old Johnny said as he lifted Jäna up gently onto her pony. He made sure her skirts were properly arranged for riding as well as any courtier would have done.

"I trust they worked hard and behaved themselves?" Baron Jerrill asked.

"Aye, m'lord, hard workers all of 'em. I fancy they know a lot more about cider making than they knew before." Old Johnny handed Jäna her reins and gave the boys a gap-toothed smile. "You should bring 'em back for a sample, once it's finished and aged. I'll bet it will be the best they've ever had."

He ducked his head respectfully and Meggie curtseyed as Baron Jerrill and his triplets turned their mounts to leave. As they headed back toward town and Tehryn Keep, Jäna turned to look back at the old man and his daughter. Old Johnny reached up with his gnarled arm and gave her a huge wave.

Jäna de Tehryn smiled and gave him a huge wave back.

###

The old baron caught a reproachful look from Lady Amah as he and his family sat in his private quarters for the evening meal. By the time Amah had gotten the children cleaned up after their return to Tehryn Keep, it had been too late to eat in the Great Hall. She had ordered a light meal of meat stew, fresh bread and cheese to be served in the solar. Jerrill enjoyed a mug of excellent stout with his meal while Amah sipped a light ale. The usual exuberant chatter from the triplets was absent tonight, limited to polite responses as required. They had hardly touched their food. Justin was able to prevent a small disaster when he stopped Jared from falling face-first into his stew when Jared dozed off in his chair.

"Ah, dessert!" Jerrill announced as a servant brought forth a freshly baked apple pie. He picked up the piece set before him and took a large, enthusiastic bite. "Delicious!"

"Papa," Jäna asked, followed by an audible gulp. "Might I be excused?"

"But child, it's delicious – " The old baron stopped as he noticed that his daughter's face had turned an indelicate shade of pale green that did nothing to complement her emerald eyes. "Go on," he finished hastily.

Jäna bolted from her chair towards the nearest garderobe.

"I'll check on her," Lady Amah said as she rose from her chair and followed at a more dignified pace.

"Papa, might we be excused as well?"

Sighing, Jerrill turned toward his sons and nodded. They didn't look much better than their sister, but at least they looked to be a more normal colour. The boys stood, offered quick bows and hastily withdrew from the room.

"Hopefully this was a lesson well learned," Jerrill thought. "Food is not to be carelessly wasted." He eyed the abandoned slice of pie on the boy's shared trencher, and since Amah wasn't in the room to scold him, reached over and helped himself.

###

Jäna de Tehryn yawned and stretched to her full length on her bed. She was feeling much better. Lady Amah had tucked her in and advised that her brief illness was all due to too much sun and not enough to drink during the day. Jäna curled up under the light coverlet and closed her eyes to sleep.

But the moon had risen, a full moon, and it shown brightly through her open shutter. She opened her eyes and glared at it. If the shutter was closed just a little more, it would block the light. She was too tired to get up to close it, and she didn't want to call for Amah.

She turned her head slightly and focused on the shutter. Slowly, with a faint creak, it began to move, finally blocking the bright moonlight.

With a contented little smile, Jäna drifted off to sleep.


End file.
